“The Lazarus Project” by Aleksandar Hemon (Bosnia-Herzegovina)

Review

Readers liked the layout of the book, they liked how the author alternated the two stories set a hundred years apart intertwining the narratives at times, and they appreciated the black & white photos that separated each passage and that spoke of things to come in them. Some readers said they preferred the modern day story, especially the second part as it felt like a road trip. They particularly enjoyed the humour and the jokes in this part. They could relate to the immigrant story with its feeling of homesickness and difficulty integrating into a new culture. However, they did find the sporadic retelling of events during the Bosnian war confusing at times. Other readers preferred reading Lazarus’s story as they found it more powerful and felt that it raised questions about similar contemporary issues. One reader felt that it would be good to read the book twice as there was a lot to get from it both historically and politically. Overall, it averaged a 7.3 out of 10.

Synopsis

On 2 March 1908, Lazarus Averbuch, a young Russian Jewish immigrant to Chicago, tried to deliver a letter to the city’s Chief of Police. He was shot dead. After the shooting, it was claimed he was an anarchist assassin and an agent of foreign operatives who wanted to bring… Read more

Nicola’s Book Club reading list

Season 19 (Oct 2015 – Jun 2016)
“The Lazarus Project” by Aleksandar Hemon (Bosnia-Hercegovina)
“Beloved” by Toni Morrison (U.S.)
“In the Country of Men” by Hisham Matar (Libya)
“The Ventriloquist’s Tale” by Pauline Melville (Guyana)
“The Narrow Road to the Deep North” by Richard Flanagan (Australia) *

* The book club favourite
In italics, Nicola’s Coup de Cœur